


A Need For Change

by Dangersocks, Jathis



Series: Dirty Fun With Boyfriends Plus One [1]
Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Abuse, Aftercare, Aftermath of Torture, BDSM, Bad BDSM Etiquette, Cecearlos - Freeform, Choking, Comfort, Multi, Polyamory, Safewords, Voyeurism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-21
Updated: 2015-02-11
Packaged: 2018-03-08 11:05:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3206861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dangersocks/pseuds/Dangersocks, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jathis/pseuds/Jathis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two years after the events of Desert Bluffs, the boys learn that not everything heals and changes in an instant. It takes time and patience and sometimes help from other people to get through it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> And so owl begins a new chaptered fic!
> 
> Dangersocks and I have been talking and collaborating a lot so...yeah! This is going to be fun.
> 
> Adam is an OC created by Dangersocks and his introduction is better suited to be handled by her.
> 
> This is set After Bringing Them/Him Back and after the Cecearlos fics that had occurred after the fact.
> 
> Tags will be added and edited as the story continues.
> 
> As such; fics with Cecearlos will stay in the Fun with Boyfriends series. Those with Adam go with the plus one series

It had been two years since their ordeal in Desert Bluffs had ended. Over time the three had been able to build up their relationship to what it had once been, albeit with a few changes to adjust for their newly discovered comfort levels. Cecil still refused to be in a scene where he was the only one tied up or being held down and this was respected by Carlos and Earl. Carlos was becoming more used to using his safewords when he felt himself being pushed too far, unafraid of “ruining” the scene for the other two. Earl was becoming more open about the things he liked, becoming less afraid of telling them what he would like to do in a scene or in one of Cecil’s stories.

Cecil had in fact made a friend because of his stories. A truck driver born and raised in Night Vale who had offered a suggestion while making a delivery for one of Cecil’s stories with the Elf Prince and his perilous sexual adventures. The Voice had warmed up to the man and soon the two would meet each other at Rico’s to discuss story ideas for Cecil to write. Later Earl would remind Cecil that the man, named Adam, had been in the Scouts with them for years and was in fact NOT a total stranger as Cecil had first surmised about him.

The three were starting to move on fully from everything that had happened to them at Kevin’s hands. Earl was finally starting to forget about the ceremony that he had been forced to suffer through, helping Carlos to get through his guilt of being too afraid to do anything before it could take place. The redhead no longer worried about being found as much as he had in the beginning, unafraid of the sun and its light.

And then one day the sun rose at midnight and Night Vale was flooded with light. The sun’s rays burned through the blinds and curtains of every home, forcing everyone to wake up and endure its heat. Some ended up sleeping under their beds with their monsters and others found comfort in the arms of the creatures that resided in their closets to try and get a full night’s sleep.

Earl screamed and locked himself in the windowless bathroom, refusing to turn on the light or open the door when Cecil and Carlos knocked on it and tried to understand what was wrong. The room granted the redhead total darkness and his hands shook as he turned the faucet, filling the tub with cold water. He shrugged off his clothes and climbed in, hissing as the coldness of the water soothed away the sudden burning and sensitivity of his skin.

“Earl? Earl, what is happening?” Cecil asked from behind the door, becoming worried when he saw the way Carlos’ face lost its color. “I…please…what is happening?”

But Earl just shook his head, clapping his hands over his ears. His teeth started to chatter and he moaned, leaving the faucet on to ensure that the water didn’t have a chance to become room temperature. There was no way he was going to be able to handle that light…and that Warmth…

_Cum for me!_

_I’ve never seen anyone survive from disobeying Them before! They must really like you, Slut!_

Earl’s chest started to hurt from the effort of holding back a sob, mismatched eyes burning with unshed tears. He soon lost the fight, shrieking and sobbing in the dark room. He had to stay in the darkness and the cold…he needed to stay safe.

Cecil looked over at Carlos, shaking his head as he gave up trying to get to Earl. “Carlos? Carlos, do you..?”

“I’m not bad!” Carlos suddenly whimpered, shaking his head in denial.

“Carlos, I didn’t say you were,” Cecil gently reminded him. He reached out, placing a hand on Carlos’ shoulder. “This has something to do with…whatever happened in Desert Bluffs, doesn’t it?”

“I’m sorry.”

“I don’t think Earl is going to be coming out of there anytime soon. Do you want to go down into the playroom and sleep there? It should be dark with no windows and you don’t have to turn on the lights. The mattress and the cushions are down there.”

Carlos nodded shakily, wiping away a few stray tears that clung to his cheeks. “Will you come down and see me later?”

“I promise.” Cecil watched as Carlos grabbed their warm quilt from the bed, shying away from the light streaming through the window before making his way down the stairs. He sighed, shaking his head as he turned back to the door, knocking on it with his knuckles. “Earl? Earl, please let me know you’re okay in there?” he pleaded.

“He’s sitting in a tub full of cold water,” the Faceless Old Woman sang into his ear. “His Scoutmaster training will protect him from any real harm from doing that. He won’t even look like a raisin after all. I am very glad about that. I detest raisins in all of their forms and it would not be appreciated for him to allow his body to take on such a form.”

“Earl,” Cecil whispered. He shook his head, resting his forehead against the smooth wooden door. He closed his eyes and tried to send his strength to Earl and Carlos both. His lovers were in such pain and the Voice once again felt helpless to do anything to protect either of them from this cursed light.

Things were supposed to be getting better…


	2. Chapter 2

Adam narrowed his eyes ever so slightly, showing his clear displeasure to Earl without making it too obvious in front of Carlos and Cecil. Slowly the brunette leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest as he continued to stare at the redhead. The four were sitting around the kitchen table over coffee and Cecil had just finished telling Adam what had happened yesterday during the odd twenty-four hour sunrise.

Earl pointedly refused to meet Adam's gaze. Instead he kept his mug firmly between the palms of his hands, staring intently into the brown contents. He idly wondered if perhaps he could remain like this for the entirety of Adam's stay here but that theory was dashed away when Carlos spoke up, forcing him to lift his head to give the man his attention.

“Do you think that maybe you could spend time with Earl in the desert to make sure everything is healed?” Carlos asked.

“I'm fine,” Earl whispered.

“You left the desert early,” Adam growled.

“I was feeling fine,” Earl countered.

“You left early and didn't allow yourself to heal like a proper Scout, Harlan!”

“...I felt fine.”

Adam rolled his eyes, settling back down into his chair, struggling to control himself. “I'm going with you when you go this time to make sure you heal yourself,” he insisted.

“You don't have to.”

“Yes, I do.”

Earl frowned but was stopped when Cecil leaned forward, resting a hand on top of his. “Earl, Adam is only trying to help,” the Voice reminded him.

“I don't know why that happened,” Earl said, staring at the tabletop now to avoid looking at anyone. “I was feeling perfectly fine and then that light...it just made me feel so...off and...sensitive...”

Carlos' eyes widened slightly at the other's words and he turned to look at him, eyebrows raised now. “It made you want to have sex?” he asked.

“Yes,” Earl said. He noticed the way Carlos shifted a little in his chair and he wondered if the scientist had been feeling anything similar. He held off on questioning him however, allowing the man to keep his secrets for now. “I'm sure I'll be fine after this second venture out into the desert. Adam will help me.”

“You're damned right I will! We're not leaving until I'm one hundred percent certain that you've been helped out there in the sands!”

Earl offered the former Scout a sad smile and a nod of his head. “Thank you for your help, Adam.”

Adam offered the redhead a lopsided smile, allowing himself to finally relax as he nodded and picked up his cup. “Of course,” he said.

“Every thing will be perfectly fine once you come back from your healing,” Cecil insisted, a little more to himself than Earl. The Voice was still shaken by the way Earl had reacted to the intense sunlight, soaking himself in cold water until the light had finally given way to darkness. He was still worried that this had been a sign about something or someone else but he pushed this worry to the back of his mind for now, focused entirely on Earl.

“Are you certain you two will be fine without me?” Earl asked. “You know I won't be able to bring my phone with me. Contact during the healing is forbidden with anyone outside of the desert.”

“We'll be okay,” Carlos promised, resting a hand on Earl's knee. He offered Earl's knee a gentle squeeze, allowing his hand to slide up the other's leg, teasing over his thigh with prodding fingers. He could feel the redhead's body tremble under his touch, Earl's eyes becoming dark and half-lidded. He seemed to catch himself before going any further, quickly pulling his hand away and placing it into his own lap with an awkward cough.

Cecil frowned a little to himself as he watched this exchange, keeping his thoughts to himself for now. All he could do was hope that Earl's trip into the desert would help, allowing Cecil to try and find something to help Carlos while they were alone.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Cecil was surprised when Carlos asked if they could have sex the day after Earl had gone with Adam out into the desert to try and heal whatever damage still lingered inside of his body and his mind. The three had abstained from doing anything physical after the sudden never ending day of sunlight and the Voice had felt as if they wouldn't be able to do anything until Earl returned from his trip with Adam. He was however unwilling to deny Carlos anything and so he nodded his head, allowing Carlos to take him by the hand and lead him into the bedroom.

“Oh! Carlos, please!” Cecil smiled and tightened his legs around the other's middle, rolling his hips forward as Carlos started to penetrate him. He opened his eyes and licked his lips as he locked onto Carlos', flashing his teeth at him. “You're always so good at fucking me!” he hissed.

Carlos laughed, grunting as he thrust deep inside of Cecil. Their bodies rocked and jerked together and Carlos moaned, resting his hands on either side of Cecil's head to try and steady himself. “Cecil...fuck! You're always so tight!”

“Just for you,” Cecil mewled, “I'm always tight for...” Cecil stopped and froze when Carlos' hands gripped onto his wrists. His eyes widened ever so slightly, fear starting to take over. “Carlos, you know I don't like being held down.”

“Take it,” Carlos answered.

“Wha-what?”

“Take it, slut!”

He should have known that something would go wrong. He should have known that whatever was hurting Earl was probably hurting Carlos as well. Foolish Cecil...he was always so horrible at judging situations until it was too late!

“Carlos...” Cecil whispered, his voice trembling as he struggled to control his breathing. He couldn't panic...not now...not like this...

“Shh...just take it,” Carlos panted, smiling as he pulled out nearly all of the way before plunging deep inside of Cecil. He hissed when Cecil tightened around him, mewling as he started to grind into him at a slow pace, cooing as he leaned down to kiss him on the lips.

His grip on Cecil's wrists remained nice and tight.

“Carlos, you know I...”

“Shut up.”

Cecil's eyes widened ever so slightly at the grunt and he braced himself, body trembling underneath Carlos'. He took in a deep breath, closing his eyes as he struggled to steady himself. His Voice could not shake...not if he was going to use it. “ _ **Carlos...**_ ”

The other stiffened, stopping his movements. He remained on top of and inside of Cecil, blinking as he looked into the other's eyes, his grip loosening ever so slightly, becoming uncertain. “Cecil?”

“ _ **Carlos, let go of my wrists**_ ,” Cecil commanded. He held his breath when there was a brief moment of nothing but he soon relaxed when Carlos obeyed, releasing his wrists and pulling out of him, his dark cheeks burning a dull red as he shook his head.

“I...”

“Carlos?”

“I don't...I'm sorry...” His hands started to tremble, his eyes starting to fill with tears. "Oh my God...Cecil, I was going to...but I would never..!"

Cecil pushed himself up and he reached out, pulling Carlos into his arms. He hushed him softly, running his fingers through his thick hair. “Carlos, I know...”

“Oh God...”

“Shh,” he whispered. “ _ **You are safe and you are loved. You feel tired and need to get some rest now, love. You are going to lie down beside me and you are going to sleep and while you sleep, you will forget this has happened**_.” Cecil watched as Carlos' body reacted to his Voice, becoming relaxed as his eyes fluttered closed, falling asleep beside him. He sighed as he reached out, running his hands through the sleeping man's hair. “We'll talk about this with Earl,” he promised, “I know that this isn't you. This is something else.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

Nothing else happened after Cecil used his Voice on Carlos. The scientist woke up not remembering a single thing that had happened the night before and he was as loving and beautiful as he always was with Cecil. It was enough to almost make Cecil forget about the way Carlos' eyes had become dark, the way his hands had tightened their grip to refuse to let him sit up.

Almost.

Earl and Adam returned several days after the incident in the bedroom. Earl looked much more relaxed than he had when he left and Cecil worried that telling him immediately about what had happened with Carlos would ruin the Scout's mood. He kept it to himself for now instead, believing that perhaps it had been some kind of fluke and that there would be no more incidents now that Earl had returned from the desert in a much better mental state.

Perhaps it would never happen again. Perhaps whatever had happened to Carlos was already gone. There was no reason to make anybody worry about it. He had his Voice to protect himself and he trusted Carlos. They were safe now. Things were back the way they should have been all along.

 

* * *

 

It happened three days after Earl's return.

Earl woke up that morning feeling overly sensitive. The redhead had frowned, slipping out of bed without disturbing Carlos and Cecil. He showered, placing a hand over his mouth to silence his mewls as he stroked himself to climax, cleaning his semen away with the warm water before focusing on cleaning himself up.

His sexual arousal however remained. He slipped on a t-shirt and sweatpants with a sigh, intent on ignoring it for now as he instead headed for the kitchen to make something for breakfast. He chose some sausages and a pan that was willing to work that morning and he started to cook, humming softly to himself as he focused on his work.

Several minutes later his sharp ears caught the sound of footsteps heading for the kitchen. “You're up early, Early,” Carlos murmured. He smiled a little, stepping into the kitchen. “At least you can show that you're productive in _some_ ways.”

Earl could smell Carlos' arousal already. His nostrils flared a little and he frowned, forcing himself to focus on the task of not burning the sausages in the pan. He used all of his training as a Scout not to let Carlos see that he was feeling uncomfortable. He cleared his throat before asking, “what would you like with your sausage this morning?”

Carlos however didn't answer. Instead he calmly approached the redhead, humming as his eyes looked over his body. “You should be naked,” he murmured.

“I would risk burning myself,” Earl reminded him, voice even despite his racing heart. He gasped when Carlos' hands were suddenly grabbing onto his hips, straightening up. “Carlos...”

“Take off your clothes,” Carlos hissed into his ear, nipping the bottom of it. “Take off your clothes and get on your knees. I want to feed you _my_ sausage instead.”

“Carlos, I...”

“Now.”

And oh Gods but Earl really _did_ want to. His body felt weak and he could feel himself becoming hard at how harsh and cruel Carlos sounded. He wanted to drop to his knees and open his mouth and just succumb to his wishes. And when Carlos inevitably orders him into the car and back to Des...

No.

“Carlos, you're hurting me,” Earl whispered, maintaining his cool demeanor as he stared straight ahead. He could easily disarm and subdue the scientist but he wanted Carlos to snap out of this on his own. He wanted to know that Carlos can gain some form of control over himself. “I am saying no, Carlos.”

Angrily Carlos slapped Earl on the ass, grabbing onto it tightly, digging his nails into the flesh under his clothes. “You can't always say no, Earl!”

Earl had heard Cecil coming, waiting with baited breath for the radio host to step in and do something. “Carlos, what are you doing?” Cecil asked, standing in the doorway with a look of concern. “Carlos...let go of Earl.”

“Not until he does as he's told! He's supposed to be an obedient Offering and he's not! We have to go back home so he can learn his place.”

“Carlos...” Cecil warned.

“Shut up!” Carlos snarled.

“ _ **Carlos**_.”

Earl breathed a small sigh of relief when he heard Cecil's Voice ring out. He felt Carlos let go of him and he finally allowed himself to turn around, keeping his face as neutral as possible. This was not the time for looking upset or furious. He knew that there was something wrong with Carlos and showing him negative emotions would not help.

Carlos looked terribly confused. He stood between the Scoutmaster and the radio host, wringing his hands together as he looked from one to the other and back again. “Cecil...I...”

“ _ **You will go into the den and lie down. You will close your eyes and you will forget about this. You will remember however that we love you very much and we will help you deal with whatever is happening**_ ,” Cecil commanded.

“I love you,” Earl added softly, reaching out to hold Carlos' hand. He offered him a sad smile, pressing a kiss to his temple before letting him go, allowing Carlos to slip into the den to do as he had been told by Cecil's Voice. Once Carlos was gone; Earl slumped against the counter, shoulders falling as his eyes started to fill with tears. “Cecil...something is wrong.”

“It has to do with what happened during that day where the sun refused to set, doesn't it? The day you locked yourself in the bathroom and soaked in ice cold water?”

Earl bowed his head, placing a hand over his mouth. It felt like he was being called back to that place of smiles and sunlight...

“Earl.”

He looked up at Cecil, forcing himself to stand up straight. “Their God wants me back,” he whispered.

Cecil reached out, resting a hand on Earl's cheek in comfort. He pulled the redhead into his arms, hugging him tightly, rubbing his back as he felt him start to break into tears. “We're going to find a way to deal with this,” he promised. “I...I have to tell you about something that happened while you were away.”

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Earl is talking about what happened in this story: http://archiveofourown.org/works/2422247

Cecil and Earl spoke to each other over breakfast while Carlos was asleep in the den. Neither was feeling very hungry after what had happened but the pan had worked really hard to ensure that the sausages were cooked evenly and neither wanted to offend it by not eating the food. The last time they had done that all of their kitchen tools and appliances had staged a small riot and it had been weeks before Earl was allowed to cook anything in the kitchen again.

Cecil started first by telling Earl about what Carlos had done while Earl was away with Adam. He confessed that he should have told Earl about what Carlos had done as soon as he returned but he worried that this would cause Earl to revert back. “And I mean, you had just come back from the desert! I didn't want to risk ruining the progress you made out there.”

“You've started to use your Voice,” Earl noted.

The radio host shrugged his shoulders, looking down to toy with the food on his plate with a fork before stabbing into it, making it shriek briefly before going limp. “The Council started to send me pamphlets on how to use it properly. I was always too afraid to use it before. And you know what? I never _needed_ to use my Voice before either. There was never a big enough threat to warrant it! But with everything Desert Bluffs has put us through... I refuse to let anything like that happen to me again.”

“Carlos is an Outsider. That makes him more susceptible to your Voice,” Earl offered. “It's why you're able to control him when he loses himself to the Sunshine.”

“This _does_ have to do with what happened that day when the sun refused to set doesn't it?”

It was Earl's turn to bow his head, arranging his pieces of sausage awkwardly before looking back up at Cecil again. “They have a religious ceremony that they perform every two years,” he began, “Kevin decided that I would be perfect for the role of Offering and...”

Cecil listened as Earl told him about the ceremony. During the telling he reached out across the table, resting a hand on top of Earl's. He squeezed Earl's hand as the redhead spoke of what he was forced to endure; how Earl had wished for nothing more than to die instead of giving in to any of the demands being shouted into his head.

There was silence when Earl finished. Neither could think of anything to say, instead allowing the silence to take over for the both of them. The only thing that broke the silence was the Faceless Old Woman noisily going through the cabinets, arranging the glasses around so that they were all in the fridge and the food was left in the cabinets instead.

Eventually Earl cleared his throat and he forced himself to look into Cecil's eyes. “That day when the sun didn't set...it was their Smiling God looking for me. I stayed in the tub because I felt sensitive, sexually. I wanted to have violent and degrading sex with you and Carlos and I knew that I couldn't. That's why I locked myself away.”

“Do you think Carlos is feeling like that in a similar fashion?” Cecil asked. “I mean...he's acting more aggressive when it comes to sex and he's saying things that he said from before...”

“If you hadn't used your Voice, I would have submitted to him and done whatever he ordered of me,” Earl confirmed.

“But the re-education sessions...”

“This is something that goes beyond anything we can do. Carlos and I are being drawn back to Desert Bluffs because of their God and their Voice.”

Cecil gritted his teeth angrily, “Kevin...”

“He must have used his Voice on Carlos in some way. It's the only thing I can think of for why Carlos was affected in such a way so easily. He was Kevin's favorite after all and Carlos would be easier to manipulate and control because he's an Outsider. Perhaps Kevin did something to ensure that he would maintain even a small amount of control over him.”

“Carlos...”

“Cecil? May I confess something to you?” Earl suddenly asked, shifting uncomfortably in his chair.

“What's wrong?” Cecil asked.

“Even now...after all of this...I'm still feeling a little...um...”

Cecil blinked, perking up when he realized what Earl was trying to say. “Horny?” he asked. He frowned a little when Earl nodded his head, placing his chin in his hands as he thought about this. “Carlos must be feeling unfulfilled too,” he muttered.

“Perhaps if the three of us are involved, we'll be able to control ourselves better from any outside influences?” Earl offered.

“I like that idea,” Cecil agreed with a nod, pushing his chair back to stand up. “I'll clean up in here. You wake up Carlos and let him know that we're going to have a very calm and vanilla scene tonight in the playroom. That should help the both of you, right?”

Earl nodded, smiling at Cecil gratefully as he got up from the table. “We can only hope.”

 


	6. Chapter 6

_**The Past** _

 

* * *

 

Kevin smiled to himself, humming as he cocked his head just so, watching the way Carlos' eyes continued to look lit up and excited as he put the toys away, ignoring the sobbing pet huddled in the far back of his cage. The muzzle had been tightened after Kevin had noticed that Cecil had been trying to chew his way out of it. “You like it when I have you assist in disciplining the bad one, don't you?” he asked, sitting up when Carlos turned to look at him for approval.

“I always like making Master happy,” Carlos reminded him.

The Voice of Desert Bluffs hummed in approval, standing up. “Does my good pet desire a reward for his good behavior?” he asked. He smiled knowingly as Carlos rapidly nodded his head and he gestured for him to follow, heading back to his bedroom. He shut the door behind them once inside, sitting at the foot of the bed.

“Carlos...dear almost perfect, Carlos! You try so hard to make me happy, don't you?”

Carlos knelt down between Kevin's legs, waiting for permission to do anything else. He rested his hands on his knees, struggling not to lean forward and mouth his Master's crotch. “I love making you happy! I only want to make you happy!” he said.

Kevin nodded, thinking to himself as he reached down, stroking Carlos' hair. “Tell me about the Elf in the bad one's stories. He's real, yes?”

“The Elf...his name is Earl,” Carlos explained, eyes sliding closed as he leaned into Kevin's hand. “He's a Scoutmaster for Night Vale. He's the strongest man I've ever known. His body heals from wounds so quickly and he can endure so much pain...”

“How do you know this?”

“We play...games. The three of us.”

Kevin's eyes widened ever so slightly and he flashed his teeth in delight at this. “Tell me more about him,” he commanded. “Do you think he's strong enough to endure a God?”

“Ten Gods,” Carlos answered, “Earl survived being attacked by these Mute Children. He's survived Spiderwolf bites...and Cricket Bear claws. He loves it when he's demeaned and humiliated in the bedroom. Sometimes he endures hard fuckings for hours, Master...”

Kevin perked up, “hours?”

“Hours,” Carlos agreed.

“And this man...he loves you?”

“He loves us both.”

“...And he will come for you?”

“I think so...but I don't want to go if he does, Master! I want to stay here with you!” Carlos whimpered, nuzzling his inner thigh.

“Oh I know you do, pet! You're such a good boy for your Master! You make me so proud of you!” Kevin dug his nails into Carlos' scalp, making him shudder and tilt his head back with a mewl. “And you are certain that everything you're telling me is the truth? This man...he can endure hours of sex and is strong enough to deal with multiple Gods?”

“Oh yes...yes, I am telling you the truth!”

Kevin smiled, opening the front of his pants to let his cock slip out, brushing the head against Carlos' eager lips. “ _ **He is going to make the perfect Offering, isn't he?**_ ”

“Yes...”

“ _ **And you will make sure that no matter what; the Offering will be in Desert Bluffs where he belongs?**_ ”

“Yes, Master!”

He nodded, grabbing the back of Carlos' head, allowing the scientist to eagerly accept his reward from him, sucking and slurping in drugged eagerness.

 

* * *

 

_**The Present** _

 

Earl realized something was wrong when only Carlos came down the stairs. Carlos and Cecil had both needed to get a few things sorted out upstairs while he waited for them in the playroom. It had taken an oddly long length of time but with the Faceless Old Woman visiting her cousin; the Armless Young Girl Who Hides In Your Attic, Earl had no one to check and see if things were alright. The redhead frowned ever so slightly, keeping his face blank as Carlos approached him. “Where is Cecil?” he asked.

“Cecil's in the bathroom,” Carlos answered with a shrug of his shoulders. “He told us that we could start to warm things up before he gets here though!” he added, starting to shrug out of his coat and shirt. He frowned a little when he saw Earl looking at him and he shook his head, “what's wrong?”

“He's okay?”

“Of course he is!” Carlos said, looking hurt by the accusation. “You don't trust me?”

“...I trust you,” Earl whispered, pulling off his own shirt. His body was already started to ache with need as Carlos approached and for a brief moment he was terrified that he would not be able to protect himself if Carlos tried something. He held still as Carlos walked up to him, tilting his head back ever so slightly as he watched the scientist run his hands over his stomach and sides. 

“You're so beautiful...” Carlos whispered. He smiled up at Earl, not quite meeting his eyes as his hands traveled upwards, gripping his nipples before pinching them hard enough to make the redhead grunt in pain. “You can handle so much pain...”

“Where is Cecil?”

“He's in the bathroom.”

“Carlos, did you hurt him?”

“Pain is a good teacher.”

“Carlos...” He was slapped, cutting off his words as he blinked rapidly to center himself. His body tensed and he struggled to fight the urge to beg Carlos for another slap. “Car...”

“Shut UP!” His hands were around Earl's throat in an instant and Carlos was choking him now, teeth bared and lips peeled back in a grotesque mimicry of a smile. “You're just an Offering! I'm a good boy! I am Master's good boy!”

Earl reached up and held onto Carlos' wrists. His body was fighting with him, a mixture of submission and wanting to fight back struggling to gain control over him. He could feel the way Carlos pressed his thumbs into the middle of his throat, pressing down as hard as he could, dull nails digging in and making the skin start to purple and bruise. “...you...are...good...” he croaked.

Carlos' eyes suddenly opened wide, disbelief crossing his face. In an instant his hands were off of Earl and he stepped back, shaking his head. “Earl? Earl, what..?”

The Scoutmaster rubbed his sore and bruised throat with a hand, trying to comfort Carlos with a shake of his head. “Cecil?”

“Cecil...Cecil!” Carlos fled up the stairs, panic driving him as Earl followed behind him. Once upstairs he heard the sound of Cecil banging on the barricaded door to the bathroom and he sighed, helping a trembling Carlos to clear the obstruction.

Cecil stared at Earl's throat with worried eyes, unable to think of anything to say. “I...”

“I think...we should talk...to Adam...” Earl grunted.

“I'm so sorry. I don't understand why I...”

“You are good,” Earl assured Carlos. He looked from Carlos to Cecil and back again, holding their gaze for several seconds. “You are good,” he repeated for them both.

 


	7. Chapter 7

Carlos had sobbed on the way to the Re-Education Facility. No amount of comfort and assurances could console the Outsider and he kept his head bowed as he was led inside, not even bothering to offer even the token amount of resistance as he was taken in.

Cecil and Earl waited for him in the lobby. The two spoke very sparingly, their minds still struggling to come to terms to what had happened.

“Are you hurt?” Earl asked.

Cecil shook his head, hugging himself. “No, I'm fine. He just locked me in the bathroom. No violence was involved. How is your neck?” he asked. The bruises were already starting to fade away, making it look as if nothing had happened at all to the redhead.

“It's fine,” Earl assured him.

“Are you sure?”

“I am sure, Cecil.”

The radio host offered him a sad smile, shaking his head before looking up at the sound of approaching footsteps. Two masked officers walked up to the pair, offering Earl polite salutes in respect to his former position as Scoutmaster. One was dressed in a rather dashing inflatable duck swimming device, their three eyes sparkling in delight and the other only had one eye, centered squarely in the middle of their forehead.

"We can't find anything wrong."

Earl shifted, planting a hand on Cecil's shoulder as the other flinched. He couldn't imagine what it must have been like for his boyfriend to wait for similar news while Kevin had last possessed Earl, and Carlos was going through reeducation.

"I would prefer a 'we found a problem and fixed it.'" the radio host snorted in turn.

"Desert Bluffs shouldn't be able to exert any influence," mused the agent. "Not here." 

In a moment, Carlos would be released.

Then Cecil stiffened.

It is because Earl clenched suddenly, nails digging involuntarily through a shirt. "Oh masters."

Eyes, seven of them, turn to the chef and Scoutmaster.

"The Smiling God's ceremony worked. Even here, with us home and everything secure, the ceremony _had been_ successful."

Cecil frowned at the outburst, narrowing his eyes slightly as he tried to understand. Those eyes slowly widened when it dawned on him and his heart started to hurt as he looked at the Scoutmaster, shaking his head. “Earl...”

“This is my fault,” Earl whispered.

“Do you want me to record this as a confession?” the agent with three eyes helpfully asked. They yelped as their comrade slapped them upside the head, huffing as they adjusted their balaclava slightly, crossing their arms over their chest. “Was just asking...”

The other officer's single eye swiveled around, looking at Earl intently, the pupil seeming to glow. “You have an idea of what you need to do?” they asked. “The Council and this organization are not exactly...prepared to handle things like New Gods and their Rituals, I'm afraid. No one has ever dealt with something like this before and quite frankly, several of us are afraid that this will bring further harm to Night Vale.”

“I am aware,” Earl said with a slow nod. “We will do our best to deal with this situation to avoid any harm coming here.”

“And if you cannot?”

Cecil bristled at the question, clenching his hands into tight fists. The very idea of it! Earl would never allow anything bad to happen if he could help it and this officer was just trying to bring him down and..!

“Then I will throw myself down Radon Canyons in order to protect Night Vale.”

“Earl?!” Cecil asked.

“But it will not come to that,” Earl added, offering the radio host a small smile in return to calm him down. “We have some ideas on what to do to deal with this situation. We will be discussing this with the truck driver known as Adam.”

The officer nodded in understanding. “The one who leaves and returns of his own free will.”

“Precisely.”

They all looked up when the doors banged opened and Cecil was the first to lunge forward, catching Carlos before he could fall to the ground. The scientist groaned, pressing a trembling hand to his forehead as he leaned on the other for support, frowning as his brain struggled to catch up on everything around him.

“We need to go,” Earl told the officers before stepping forward, taking hold of Carlos' other hand for support.

“We wish you luck,” the one-eyed officer said.

“Thank you,” Earl said with a nod as they passed, supporting Carlos between them. “I fear that we will need all of it.”

“Clover...” Carlos whispered, “clover is good for luck...”

“Yes, yes it is,” Earl agreed, smiling at Carlos sadly.

 


	8. Chapter 8

Adam had been in some weird new state called Can-Says at the time when everything had happened between the three. The brunette had been furious when Cecil called and told him about everything, cursing loudly before demanding to speak with Earl next. He had then resumed his screaming and cursing, terrifying several people at the diner he was in at the time while using their pay phone.

“Don't you DARE do anything stupid, Harlan! I'm coming back as soon as possible!”

“Adam, I don't even know how far Can-Says is in reference to Night Vale.”

“AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.”

Only Carlos was surprised when Adam arrived on their doorstep the very next day. “But you said were in Kansas? But...I don't..?”

“It's better not to think about it,” Earl assured the scientist, placing a hand on the small of his back. “Come on, we have some talking to do, yes?”

“We do,” Adam agreed with a firm nod of his head. “Especially since you threatened to throw yourself off of Radon Canyon!”

“Adam...”

“Harlan!”

Earl just gave up, rolling his eyes before stepping back, gently taking Carlos by the elbow to guide him into the living room where Cecil waited with a pot of coffee and some ginger snap cookies Earl had baked beforehand for the talk. Earl made a point of having Carlos sit down between himself and Cecil, offering him support as he sat beside him, pressing his shoulder against his.

Adam sat down from across the pair, sighing as he struggled to control his temper, allowing Cecil to make him a cup of coffee. He accepted the mug, holding it between the palms of his hands, letting it warm up his hands as the room was soon thrown into silence as no one was able to think of what to say first. There was a few awkward coughs and Carlos shifted in his seat, looking firmly down at the ground between his feet.

“So...”

“Um...

“Yeah...

“Right..?”

“All of you are quite useless.” The four didn't even bother to lift up their heads. They knew that all they would see would be the slight flicker of movement in the corner of their eyes anyway, followed by the sound of shuffling feet and something being broken or rearranged. “You'll freely discuss scenarios where one of you is being abused and dehumanized by the others with smiles on your faces but then when you must talk about serious matters you are as silent as the scorpions I allowed to lay eggs in your drainage pipes. They are expecting triplets.”

“...She's right,” Earl sighed with a nod. “We need to talk about this and the longer we wait the harder it will be for all of us. I'll start first, okay?” He waited until there were approving nods from the others before continuing, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. “What happened to me is something that cannot be wiped away, by re-education or Cecil's Voice. Because of this, I have been having certain, urges, when I am around Carlos. I know that he has been having them too and it has become obvious that we need an outlet for such things but we also need to make sure no one loses control.”

Cecil reached out, placing a hand on top of Carlos'. “No one is saying that this is Carlos' fault. _**You are a good boyfriend and we love you**_. We just know that when you and Earl are together in a sexual way that things can get...out of hand.”

“What do you want me to do?” Adam asked, blushing a little as he looked at the three. Absently he brought the mug to his lips, drinking coffee that was still hot enough to burn the tip of his tongue.

“We need to be able to have sex without hurting each other,” Carlos explained, “Earl and I have been having issues and the only way to deal with it for us is to be able to have some kind of sexual contact. But...when we try...”

“Cecil is very forgiving of Carlos. It's why Carlos was able to lock him in the bathroom and try to come at me last time,” Earl whispered, squeezing Carlos' hand in comfort. “It's not his fault but...we need to have security measures in place should this happen again, especially since the Faceless Old Woman has been entertaining family recently.”

“She has family?” Adam asked in surprise.

“I have exactly fifty-eight and a half surviving members of my family. I also have fifty-two and a third dead members of my family that I also entertain on occasion. We work things differently than you people.”

“Ah I see...” Adam mumbled. “So..?”

“We want you to sit in and make sure that our sex stays safe,” Earl answered.

Adam choked on the ginger snap he was in the process of taking a bite out of. His eyes flew wide and for a brief moment there was nothing as his brain struggled to understand what was happening. Had he really heard that right? Had Earl really just offered to bring him in to their sexual games? What..?

“You don't have to if the idea of watching makes you uncomfortable,” Cecil quickly added, worried that Adam's silence meant that he was disgusted by the proposal. “It was just an idea and...”

“I can do that if you want,” Adam whispered.

“Hm?”

The brunette cleared his throat, sipping a bit of scalding coffee as he sat up a little straighter, holding his head up high as he regarded the three again. He knew that this was not an invitation to join them; he doubted that they would ever invite him to join them in their sexual games and yet...the idea of being allowed to watch, to serve as audience and protector should the Smiling God and Kevin's influence try to take hold and hurt them...

“I'll do it,” he repeated. He tried and failed not to blush as Earl smiled at him, coughing again as he turned his head away to stare at the wall, trying not to look as if he cared about it as much as he really did.

“Thank you, Adam,” Earl said, some of the tension in his posture melting away.

“...No problem, Harlan.”

 


	9. Chapter 9

They decided on being as mellow and mild for this as possible. Earl was going to be on the submissive side of things during this game but there would be no use of restraints save for a collar around Earl's neck and leather straps on his wrists to serve as “manacles”. It was going to be just Earl serving Cecil and Carlos as best as he could and being taken care of in turn. There was no harm in making sure that things were safe for their first time testing this out and Cecil said that this would help everyone involved try and figure out the warning signs... should there be any issues where warning signs need to be spotted of course.

Together all four of them talked about what was going to happen. They discussed safe words and the sexual acts they wanted to perform. Adam was surprised when the three then looked to him, asking for his input and advice too. The brunette could only blush and shrug his shoulders, unsure if it was proper for him to even try and suggest something to be done to Earl.

Adam fidgeted on the cushions he had been given to sit on to watch the scene play out. He cleared his throat softly, checking once again on the camera's position and the lighting to make sure everything was in place. Once everything was ready he held up a hand, letting the three get into place before he turned on the camera.

He watched as a naked Earl knelt between Cecil and Carlos, legs spread with his hands on his knees. His breath caught as he finally caught sight of Earl's erection and he blushed when he realized that he was finally getting his wish to see the redhead naked and aroused... even if he was not directly involved in the process. The idea made the emotions inside of him twist and turn in confusion and he bit his lower lip, keeping as silent as he could while paying close attention to the three.

Carlos was doing his best to control himself. His hands trembled as he stroked Earl's hair, encouraging him to suck on his cock. Earl of course obeyed with a mewl, bobbing his head around Carlos' erection as he reached up with his hands to stroke Cecil's between both palms. The scientist shuddered, moaning as he whispered soft words of praise and encouragement.

How long had Adam wanted to see Earl naked and on his knees? How many nights had Adam laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling or the stars, touching himself to the idea of Earl in a collar and on his knees, begging and mewling for the taste of cock. His cheeks burned in shame as he thought about the fantasies he had concocted involving Earl. Every single one of them had ended in him broken and whimpering, fucked out and either completely submissive or too weak to fight back anymore, semen left to dry on his face to mark him as Adam's.

Adam thought about this as he watched Earl being guided onto his hands and knees, throwing his head back as Cecil penetrated him with slick fingers before Carlos gripped his hips and fucked him with his impressively sized cock. He thought about how these three lovers trusted him so much that they actually asked him to watch over them while they had sex to make sure they were safe. They actually asked for and encouraged his involvement in the planning stages for this...

And Earl had smiled and nodded when Adam mumbled the suggestion of wearing the collar to give him the sensation he needed.

Slowly Adam's worries started to melt away as he thought about this and he straightened up, sharp eyes watching as Carlos' fingers dug a little too much into Earl's hips, making the flesh start to bruise around them. Earl and Cecil were so lost in the moment that they hadn't noticed yet and Adam stood up, moving silently to intervene.

“Take it you, slut!” Carlos hissed through gritted teeth. “You..!”

“End it!”

Adam's voice cut through the sexual haze and Cecil looked up, realization dawning on him when he saw Carlos hesitate before pulling out of Earl. “Carlos..?”

“I...” Carlos flinched when Adam touched him on the arm, looking at him with wide eyes. “I...was I..?”

“It's okay,” Adam assured him, “it's why I'm here, right?” He caught sight of Earl smiling from the corner of his eye and he blushed, bowing his head a little. “I think this went pretty good for a first time, huh?” he asked, watching as Cecil grabbed blankets, wrapping one around Carlos in comfort as Earl stood up, his own over his shoulders.

The brunette's eyes widened just so when Earl pressed his swollen lips to his cheek in a chaste kiss and he looked at the other in surprise, eyebrows raised. “Um..?”

“Thank you,” Earl said, smiling at warmly.

“No...no, problem... heh...” He rubbed the back of his head, watching as the three started to talk to each other, comforting Carlos and discussing about what did and did not work during the scene. He even managed to work up the courage to offer his own input, assured that he was doing the right thing when they listened to him.

Maybe this was something that could work after all.

 


End file.
